The majority of consumer digital cameras, including such popular makes as GoPro™, include a permanently mounted lens that is non-interchangeable. The exceptions typically include costlier and bulkier SLR cameras that permit interchangeable lenses. Several non-SLR cameras also have interchangeable lenses, but these are relatively few in number and do not provide wide consumer choice. Furthermore, existing interchangeable lens cameras are usually specific for a single type of lens mount: many manufactures provide a unique lens mount configuration or use a standard mount configuration such as M12, C, or CS. A number of lens mount configurations are available, some of which are unique to specific manufacturers and others of which are non-specific to individual manufacturers. Lens mount types generally are characterized by both a specific mounting configuration for mounting the lens to the camera body and also a specific mounting flange distance to properly space the lens from the sensor to focus the image on the sensor. While lens converter kits for using different lens with different lens mounts exist (i.e. allowing one to use a specific lens type with a different mount on another camera body e.g. a Nikon™ lens on a Canon™ body), use of these is not always workable in existing cameras due to focal distance issues that can arise when using these lens converters.
Many photographers prefer the flexibility of interchangeable lenses but face difficulties in matching their preferred lenses with selected camera bodies. As well, some existing non-interchangeable lens cameras provide desirable features and qualities that would benefit from the ability to interchange lenses. For example, miniature cameras, particularly miniature video cameras that can easily be worn by the user, are increasing in popularity. One example is the popular GoPro camera that permits the user to capture high resolution still or video images with a small camera body that can easily be mounted to athletic equipment such as a helmet. However, most small cameras of this type typically have non-interchangeable lenses and furthermore the lens provided with such cameras is, in some cases, a fixed focal length, wide angle lens or fish-eye lenses with high distortion which has relatively limited application, particularly for serious photographers.
Furthermore, many photographers have accumulated collections of high quality lenses they may have been acquired when owning previous cameras. Such owners would appreciate the ability to use such lenses on a modern digital camera or otherwise being able to use such lenses for digital photography.
One previous effort to retrofit a fixed non-interchangeable lens digital video camera for use with interchangeable lenses is the View Factor™ system, which consists of a modified GoPro Hero 3™ camera which accepts C-mount lenses. This system consists essentially of a rebuilt GoPro camera including a unique circuit board and software. The front face of that camera is provided with a mount that accepts interchangeable lenses using the standard C-mount. This solution has proven to be relatively complex and costly to fabricate.